Two days…A full two days were needed for our team to track down, tail, come up with a plan—and finally catch that sly cat named Tora. The previous two attempts had ended in complete failure.
The damn cat even managed to painfully scratch both me and Sasuke when we tried to grab him by the scruff of the neck.
Every day, completing the mission took around five to six hours. And in the evenings, Sasuke and I continued our training, spending another couple of hours on it. The gloomy representative of the Uchiha clan no longer considered me a burden—though he never said it out loud. I could feel it… feel how he was gradually starting to acknowledge me as a useful partner.
We still weren't friends, but I was glad. Glad that besides Iruka-sensei, there was now another person willing to recognize me.
And it wasn't just about Sasuke. I almost forgot to mention that my relationship with Konohamaru—my future rival for the Hokage position—had noticeably improved over the past couple of weeks. The Third Hokage's grandson tried, with astonishing persistence, to pry the secrets of my signature jutsu—the "Sexy Technique"—out of me! And I, like a good teacher, told him about the important details of that jutsu. However, I also made sure to drill into his young mind the importance of training—both physical and chakra-based. All in all, we developed a pretty good relationship.
Returning to the main topic, our team finally managed to catch Tora after two days!
"Got you!" I declared with a satisfied grin after successfully grabbing the cat from an ambush.
"Hssssss!!!"Even in that situation, he didn't give up and struggled desperately, scratching and biting me!
"Ow, ow, ow! I'll die, but I won't let go!" I shouted resolutely, enduring the pain and refusing to release the cat.
"Well done, Naruto. You successfully captured the target," Kakashi-sensei said calmly as he approached along with the rest of the team.
"Heh-heh-heh, we finally finished this mission!" I replied just as cheerfully.
"If you hadn't screwed up the first time, we wouldn't have spent two days on this job, Naruto," Sakura said in an annoyed tone.
"Hey! It's not like I was the only one who messed up! That cat got away from Sasuke too—after scratching his face, by the way!" I shot back, slightly irritated by her remark.
"Tch…"Sasuke merely clicked his tongue in displeasure.
"Alright, that's enough arguing. The important thing is that we have the target. Now we just need to return to Hokage-sama and report our success," our mentor said, after which we headed toward the Third Hokage's residence.
The Hokage's residence greeted us with its usual hustle and bustle. We submitted our report, Kakashi handed over Tora, and a couple of seconds later, the cat's owner— the wife of the Fire Country's daimyo—literally burst into the hall.
"Toraaa!" she cried joyfully and immediately hugged the cat tightly, squeezing him as if she were afraid of losing him again.
The cat let out a pitiful meow and tried to escape, but in response, she only squeezed him even harder…
I couldn't help but wince.
Damn… now I at least understand why this cat resisted so desperately, like his life depended on it. With "affection" like that, I'd try to escape too. Sorry, cat, but a job's a job, I thought, looking at Tora with sympathy.
The owner thanked the Hokage and us for a while longer, then left the office, taking Tora with her. There was so much pain in his eyes…We stayed behind.
We received our reward for the mission. I glanced at the amount and was slightly surprised. It was several times more than what we'd earned from previous D-rank missions. Well… logical. After all, we'd spent two days chasing that damn cat. With that money, I could even buy some serious gear for a future mission.
"Good work. Well then, Kakashi, there's another D-rank mission available for your team," Hiruzen said calmly, setting aside a stack of papers.
Perfect! This is my moment! If I complain now, we might get sent to the Land of Waves, I decided internally.
"Hey, wait! Another D-rank?! I'm already tired of doing pointless chores that even a kid could handle! Give us a better mission!" I protested emotionally and convincingly—I truly believed we were ready for more dangerous work.
"Naruto… show proper respect when addressing Hokage-sama! Your team has only just been formed, and you need to complete enough D-rank missions before being entrusted with higher-rank ones," Iruka-sensei replied sternly, beginning a lecture on discipline.
"Tch…"I clicked my tongue but stayed silent.
"…"Sasuke also remained quiet, but his eyes clearly showed he agreed with me. He was tired of D-rank missions too.
"…"As for Sakura, she didn't care what kind of mission it was, as long as she could be near Sasuke.
Instead of scolding me, Hiruzen calmly turned his gaze to Kakashi.
"And what do you think, Kakashi? Is Team Seven ready to take on a C-rank mission?" the Third asked our captain and mentor.
Kakashi thought for a couple of seconds, then smiled his usual lazy smile beneath the mask.
"I think so. Honestly, I'm curious myself to see how much Naruto and Sasuke have improved… especially considering they've been training together for over two weeks now," he answered.
"…"An awkward silence suddenly filled the office.
What?! I can understand the old man spying on me with his crystal ball, but now Kakashi too?!I shot a sharp look at Kakashi, mentally fuming.
"…"Sasuke also tensed up noticeably. His eyes narrowed as he stared silently at the sensei, as if trying to figure out when exactly we'd been observed.
"…?!"Sakura looked like she'd been doused with cold water. She slowly turned first to Sasuke… then to me. Her expression showed genuine shock mixed with something else—irritation? Resentment? It was probably hard for her to accept that her idol had chosen to train with me—the "annoying idiot"—instead of her.
"Naruto…"As for Iruka-sensei, he looked at me with a hint of pride… as if his dumb student had finally started using his head. It was both embarrassing and irritating.
"I see… In that case, I believe it's time for a more serious mission," Hiruzen said thoughtfully, clearly pleased with Kakashi's answer.
I clenched my fists.
Damn old man! If you're spying on us, at least scold that lazy bastard! While other rookie teams are learning new things from their mentors, ours couldn't care less! I fumed internally, but held myself back.
"Now, I will introduce the person you are to escort and protect," the Hokage said, then asked his secretary to bring in our new client.
"What's this? Some kind of kindergarten group? Especially you—the runt with the stupid face. Are you really a ninja?" the old man Tazuna immediately mocked me.
"…Hey, drunk. You're lucky I'm not easily offended," I snapped irritably. It was mentally exhausting to realize I was shorter even than Sakura.
"That's enough, Naruto," Kakashi-sensei said, placing a hand on my shoulder in an attempt to calm me down.
"I'm Tazuna, a master bridge builder. I hope you'll protect me properly while I return to my country and finish the construction there," our client introduced himself, sipping some alcoholic drink.
After leaving the Hokage's residence and talking with Tazuna, Kakashi-sensei set the time and place for our next meeting, then said goodbye to him. After that, he instructed us to gather everything necessary for the mission—provisions, weapons, and all essential supplies. Then he left us alone.
"…"An awkward silence settled again, but it didn't last long. Sasuke simply turned and walked away.
"Wait, Sasuke-kun!" Sakura immediately broke the silence.
"What do you want?" he asked indifferently, turning to look at her.
"I… I was thinking… maybe we could go shopping together… you know… as a team…" she said hesitantly, glancing between me and her idol.
"No," Sasuke replied, then continued on his way.
"…"The awkward silence returned. In the end, I decided to leave as well and head after my teammate.
"Hey… Naruto," Sakura called out just as I was about to go.
I stopped, but didn't turn around right away, fully aware that a somewhat difficult conversation awaited me.
"What is it, Sakura-chan?" I asked over my shoulder, slightly turning my head toward her.
She stayed silent for a few seconds, clearly choosing her words. It was obvious this conversation wasn't easy for her.
"I… I don't understand. Why does Sasuke-kun train with you… and not with me?" she finally asked.
I slowly turned to face her fully. Without anger. More like… tired.
"Seriously? You really don't understand?" I replied with a question of my own.
"Of course I don't! I'm part of the team too! I want to get stronger as well!" she flared up immediately.
"Wanting and doing are two different things, Sakura-chan. When was the last time you suggested training on your own? Not for Sasuke, but for yourself?" I asked calmly.
"That's not an answer," she frowned.
"That's exactly the answer to your question. Listen… remember how annoyed you were when I used to constantly cling to you?" I decided to stop beating around the bush.
"Hey! That's completely different!" she protested, fully understanding where I was going.
"No, it's exactly the same," I raised my voice slightly.
She froze, clearly not expecting that from me.
"It annoyed you. You were angry. You thought I was an annoying idiot who couldn't take a hint. Hell… I'm sure you still think that! Well then—for Sasuke, you're in pretty much the same role right now," I continued, forcing the truth on her.
"W-what?! You're talking nonsense!" Sakura-chan protested, blushing slightly from shame.
"Then why does he leave every time you suggest doing something 'together'? Why doesn't he even discuss it?" I continued pressing her with logical questions.
Sakura opened her mouth… then closed it. Deep down, she knew I was right.
"I… He just… he's not like that. He needs time," she said quietly, clenching her fists and lowering her head.
"Maybe. But there's something else you don't know," I said.
She looked up at me warily.
"I originally wanted you to train with us. Together—as a team," I said firmly.
"Really…?" she asked, confused.
"Yes. But Sasuke was strongly against the idea," I replied with a serious expression.
"Against it…?" her voice grew quieter.
"He said you'd constantly get distracted. And distract him as well."
Sakura went pale.
"He… said that…?" she whispered.
"Almost word for word. So don't be angry at me. I want our team to grow stronger together. But until you prove to Sasuke that you've changed, I doubt he'll want to train with you."
She lowered her gaze again, thinking over my words.
"I just… I thought that if I stayed close… if I tried…" she mumbled, biting her lip.
"Well, I need to buy some things for the mission, so I'm heading out," I said, deciding to leave Sakura-chan alone with her thoughts.
As for me…
I tried to catch up with Sasuke.
I caught up to him closer to the shopping district. He walked silently, as usual, hands in his pockets, staring ahead as if I weren't even there. Still, he didn't object—just slowed his pace, allowing me to walk beside him.
Only one evening remained before tomorrow's mission, and we both understood that. We decided to skip training. Not because we were lazy—we simply wanted to conserve our strength. There was no point in pushing ourselves right before a mission. Besides, I would recover quickly anyway due to my body's peculiarities.
So in the end, we just walked through the city.
First, we stopped by a weapons shop. Sasuke immediately headed for the display of throwing weapons. Without a word, he selected several sets of shuriken, checked their balance, then added explosive tags to his purchase.
I lingered at another counter. My gaze immediately locked onto a large folding shuriken—massive, with four blades, folded into a compact cross.
A Fūma Shuriken—that very one. Canonical. Heavy, but reliable.
I picked it up, tested the weight, mentally calculated the throwing trajectory. Sasuke shot me a brief glance. He clearly didn't understand why I wanted it. I hadn't used one before either. But I knew… I was certain it would come in handy. We would soon face Zabuza, and if events followed canon, this shuriken would prove its worth. So I bought the Fūma Shuriken without hesitation.
After the weapons shop, we continued walking. That's when I noticed a clothing store—out of the corner of my eye. I stopped.
A jacket hung on a mannequin. Black and orange, with cool stripes. A completely different shade—not loud, not childish. No stupid blue. The cut was practical and comfortable, with a high collar and thick fabric. It looked… very much like something I'd wear in the future. And on the sides, there was a whirlpool pattern—the symbol of the Uzumaki clan. Since I still had money left, I decided to ask the price.
I went inside. The shopkeeper looked at me—and immediately scowled.
"You don't belong here," he said dryly, not even asking what I wanted.
I exhaled. Though this kind of treatment sometimes irritated me, I managed to stay calm.
"I want to buy that outfit," I said calmly, pointing at the mannequin.
"Get out! I won't do business with you," the gloomy man snapped.
I stayed silent for a couple of seconds. Looking at the outfit again, I didn't want to miss this chance.
"I'll pay. If necessary, I'll pay double," I said more firmly.
The response was the shopkeeper yanking the jacket off the mannequin and throwing it into my chest.
"Take it and get lost, demon brat!"
I caught the clothes instinctively. My heart clenched unpleasantly. Sometimes words hurt more than fists… I pulled out my wallet—the toad-shaped one—and placed the money on the counter.
"Please take it. I don't want it for free," I said quietly, trying with all my might not to be upset by the way I was treated.
"I said get out! And take your filthy money with you!" the shopkeeper shouted, throwing the money back at me.
A heavy silence hung in the air, soon broken by footsteps behind me.
"Then you'll take mine," Sasuke said coldly. His gaze was piercing and furious.
He stepped closer and slammed the money onto the counter. Honestly… I hadn't expected that from him.
"Or do you have a problem not just with him, but with me too?" my partner continued, staring straight through the shopkeeper.
The man went pale, not knowing what to say. He had clearly recognized Sasuke—an Uchiha.
Sasuke turned to me.
"Let's go," he said shortly.
We stepped outside. I clutched the new jacket in my hands. Said nothing. Sasuke stayed silent as well. We just walked on, shoulder to shoulder. It felt like words were unnecessary. As if he knew how grateful I was. A smile crept onto my face.
I felt like I had gained yet another person who accepted me for who I was.